A beleaguered Gov. Paterson defied President Obama on national TV yesterday, insisting that New Yorkers “are the ones who should choose their governor.”

In a nine-minute interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” he said the White House never gave him an “explicit indication” that he should drop out of the 2010 race for governor, although he admitted the administration had relayed concerns about his prospects.

“I’m blind, but I’m not oblivious,” said Paterson, who is legally blind. “I realize that there are people that don’t want me to run, but I have never gotten an explicit indication authorized from the White House that I shouldn’t run.”

“Meet the Press” host David Gregory attempted to pin the governor down.

“Let’s be very clear about what has happened. The president’s team and others speaking on their behalf said to you, you should not run?” Gregory asked.

“I can’t say that, David,” Paterson responded, adding, “There are a lot of people who have told me not to run.

“But let me just tell you at the outset that I am running for governor in 2010.”

The interview was Paterson’s most prominent on the national stage since revelations a week ago that Obama’s political director, Patrick Gaspard, had suggested he withdraw from next year’s race.

In the interview, the governor denied that he was “stunned” by the White House intervention.